Defensive (Corviknight) @ Rocky Helmet / Leftovers
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Tera Type: Dragon / Fighting / Water
Impish Nature
- Brave Bird / Body Press
- Defog / Iron Defense
- U-turn / Iron Defense
- Roost
[SET COMMENTS]
With a wonderful resistance-laden defensive typing, as well as the ability to ignore most entry hazard damage, Corviknight is a premier defensive staple in the tier. Brave Bird hits Ogerpon-W, Rillaboom, and Iron Valiant hard while doing decent damage to Great Tusk and Enamorus. Brave Bird is generally best used on balance teams that struggle with Ogerpon-W and already contain solid answers to late-game Kingambit. Body Press hits Kingambit, Kyurem, and Ting-Lu especially well. It also has immediate synergy with Iron Defense, allowing Corviknight to more confidently handle physical setup sweepers such as Dragonite, Gliscor, and Kingambit, especially with Pressure to more quickly stall out their attacks' PP. Defog allows Corviknight to fulfill the role as the team's hazard remover, with Corviknight often finding ample opportunities to remove hazards against common setters such as Iron Treads, Ting-Lu, and Gliscor. Defog Corviknight can also beat them in the long term, as Pressure makes their hazard move's PP drain faster than Defog's. Defog is best used on teams with another form of hazard control, which allow Corviknight to act as the secondary hazard remover to alleviate the pressure on its teammate; this is especially valuable against non-Gholdengo teams. With U-turn, Corviknight becomes an exceptional pivot, using its excellent bulk and defensive typing to safely bring in teammates after taking a hit. The move is often best used on bulky offensive and balance teams that appreciate the momentum swing Corviknight adds, especially as an opportunity to bring terrifying wallbreakers onto the field. In addition to the provided combinations, a nicher set using Iron Defense, Body Press, Brave Bird, and Roost can be used on teams that want maximum proactivity from Corviknight, notably guaranteeing the matchup against even Tera Ghost Kingambit, though the lack of team support is noticeable. Corviknight generally prefers a physically defensive spread to better handle Dragonite, Great Tusk, Zamazenta, and Kingambit, though 120 Speed EVs can also be run on IronPress variants to outspeed Adamant variants of Kingambit and Ursaluna. Alternatively, balance teams that struggle to handle Kyurem and Darkrai while having other checks for the aforementioned physical threats may appreciate a more specially defensive spread with 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD and a Sassy nature. When running this variant, Corviknight should pick Brave Bird as its main attack, since the lower Defense investment will make Body Press much more ineffectual. Rocky Helmet is generally the preferred item to punish contact moves such as Landorus-T's and opposing Corviknight's U-turn and Hisuian Samurott's Ceaseless Edge, but Leftovers is also acceptable to help keep Corviknight slightly healthier, particularly helping to mitigate Stealth Rock damage, especially on specially defensive sets. Corviknight generally prefers Tera Dragon to resist Ogerpon-W's STAB attacks, as well as Fire-type attacks such as those from Cinderace and Heatran in a pinch. Tera Fighting can be used on Iron Defense + Body Press sets to make Corviknight a more reliable late-game Kingambit answer. Tera Water provides Fire and Water resistances similarly to Tera Dragon, but it also grants a better matchup against Weavile and Dragon Dance Kyurem. Many other defensive Tera types can be used for complementing specific team structures. For example, Tera Ice can be used on specially defensive sets to handle special Kyurem for bulkier balance teams with good hazard control, and Tera Ghost lets Corviknight beat Iron Defense + Body Press Zamazenta on teams without another sufficient answer to it.
Corviknight's flexibility in its moves and Tera type, as well as the role it fulfills, makes it a welcome choice on a myriad of team structures, ranging from stall to bulky offense. Stall teams will appreciate Corviknight for its ability to absorb Knock Off, remove hazards, switch into Great Tusk, and act as extra insurance against Kingambit. In return, Corviknight appreciates Blissey absorbing strong special attacks from threats such as Darkrai and Iron Moth, Galarian Weezing helping remove entry hazards against Gholdengo, and Dondozo checking physical setup threats such as Zamazenta. On balance and bulky offense teams, Galarian Slowking, Ting-Lu, and Garganacl are good teammates to help absorb strong special attacks from Zapdos, Raging Bolt, Iron Moth, and Heatran well; in return, Corviknight can switch into Great Tusk, Hisuian Samurott, Ogerpon-W, and Kingambit, which they fear. Corviknight and Galarian Slowking can also form a pivoting core together to bring in offensive teammates via U-turn and Chilly Reception, respectively, enhancing their synergy. Furthermore, Corviknight helps limit hazards with Defog and absorbs the debilitating Knock Off to enhance their longevity. Corviknight pairs well with wallbreakers such as Dragapult, Kyurem, and Ogerpon-W, as it can keep them healthy with hazard removal and find opportunities to bring them onto the field via U-turn, allowing them to continue to make progress for the team. Corviknight can additionally switch into common answers to these teammates such as Ting-Lu, Galarian Slowking, and Dragonite, respectively, further patching up the team's weaknesses. Cinderace is a great teammate on these squads to form a dual hazard removal core, with Cinderace threatening out and removing hazards against Gholdengo for Corviknight. Cinderace also can take a Fire-type attack such as Heatran's Magma Storm in a pinch and threaten slower wallbreakers like Ogerpon-W for Corviknight, while Corviknight can handle Landorus-T and Gliscor for Cinderace, especially as they're hazard setters that Cinderace is scared of.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/stads.110504/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/marnie.493260/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/heatranator.647728/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/favmon-garchomp.653095/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Ability: Pressure
EVs: 248 HP / 252 Def / 8 SpD
Tera Type: Dragon / Fighting / Water
Impish Nature
- Brave Bird / Body Press
- Defog / Iron Defense
- U-turn / Iron Defense
- Roost
[SET COMMENTS]
With a wonderful resistance-laden defensive typing, as well as the ability to ignore most entry hazard damage, Corviknight is a premier defensive staple in the tier. Brave Bird hits Ogerpon-W, Rillaboom, and Iron Valiant hard while doing decent damage to Great Tusk and Enamorus. Brave Bird is generally best used on balance teams that struggle with Ogerpon-W and already contain solid answers to late-game Kingambit. Body Press hits Kingambit, Kyurem, and Ting-Lu especially well. It also has immediate synergy with Iron Defense, allowing Corviknight to more confidently handle physical setup sweepers such as Dragonite, Gliscor, and Kingambit, especially with Pressure to more quickly stall out their attacks' PP. Defog allows Corviknight to fulfill the role as the team's hazard remover, with Corviknight often finding ample opportunities to remove hazards against common setters such as Iron Treads, Ting-Lu, and Gliscor. Defog Corviknight can also beat them in the long term, as Pressure makes their hazard move's PP drain faster than Defog's. Defog is best used on teams with another form of hazard control, which allow Corviknight to act as the secondary hazard remover to alleviate the pressure on its teammate; this is especially valuable against non-Gholdengo teams. With U-turn, Corviknight becomes an exceptional pivot, using its excellent bulk and defensive typing to safely bring in teammates after taking a hit. The move is often best used on bulky offensive and balance teams that appreciate the momentum swing Corviknight adds, especially as an opportunity to bring terrifying wallbreakers onto the field. In addition to the provided combinations, a nicher set using Iron Defense, Body Press, Brave Bird, and Roost can be used on teams that want maximum proactivity from Corviknight, notably guaranteeing the matchup against even Tera Ghost Kingambit, though the lack of team support is noticeable. Corviknight generally prefers a physically defensive spread to better handle Dragonite, Great Tusk, Zamazenta, and Kingambit, though 120 Speed EVs can also be run on IronPress variants to outspeed Adamant variants of Kingambit and Ursaluna. Alternatively, balance teams that struggle to handle Kyurem and Darkrai while having other checks for the aforementioned physical threats may appreciate a more specially defensive spread with 252 HP / 4 Def / 252 SpD and a Sassy nature. When running this variant, Corviknight should pick Brave Bird as its main attack, since the lower Defense investment will make Body Press much more ineffectual. Rocky Helmet is generally the preferred item to punish contact moves such as Landorus-T's and opposing Corviknight's U-turn and Hisuian Samurott's Ceaseless Edge, but Leftovers is also acceptable to help keep Corviknight slightly healthier, particularly helping to mitigate Stealth Rock damage, especially on specially defensive sets. Corviknight generally prefers Tera Dragon to resist Ogerpon-W's STAB attacks, as well as Fire-type attacks such as those from Cinderace and Heatran in a pinch. Tera Fighting can be used on Iron Defense + Body Press sets to make Corviknight a more reliable late-game Kingambit answer. Tera Water provides Fire and Water resistances similarly to Tera Dragon, but it also grants a better matchup against Weavile and Dragon Dance Kyurem. Many other defensive Tera types can be used for complementing specific team structures. For example, Tera Ice can be used on specially defensive sets to handle special Kyurem for bulkier balance teams with good hazard control, and Tera Ghost lets Corviknight beat Iron Defense + Body Press Zamazenta on teams without another sufficient answer to it.
Corviknight's flexibility in its moves and Tera type, as well as the role it fulfills, makes it a welcome choice on a myriad of team structures, ranging from stall to bulky offense. Stall teams will appreciate Corviknight for its ability to absorb Knock Off, remove hazards, switch into Great Tusk, and act as extra insurance against Kingambit. In return, Corviknight appreciates Blissey absorbing strong special attacks from threats such as Darkrai and Iron Moth, Galarian Weezing helping remove entry hazards against Gholdengo, and Dondozo checking physical setup threats such as Zamazenta. On balance and bulky offense teams, Galarian Slowking, Ting-Lu, and Garganacl are good teammates to help absorb strong special attacks from Zapdos, Raging Bolt, Iron Moth, and Heatran well; in return, Corviknight can switch into Great Tusk, Hisuian Samurott, Ogerpon-W, and Kingambit, which they fear. Corviknight and Galarian Slowking can also form a pivoting core together to bring in offensive teammates via U-turn and Chilly Reception, respectively, enhancing their synergy. Furthermore, Corviknight helps limit hazards with Defog and absorbs the debilitating Knock Off to enhance their longevity. Corviknight pairs well with wallbreakers such as Dragapult, Kyurem, and Ogerpon-W, as it can keep them healthy with hazard removal and find opportunities to bring them onto the field via U-turn, allowing them to continue to make progress for the team. Corviknight can additionally switch into common answers to these teammates such as Ting-Lu, Galarian Slowking, and Dragonite, respectively, further patching up the team's weaknesses. Cinderace is a great teammate on these squads to form a dual hazard removal core, with Cinderace threatening out and removing hazards against Gholdengo for Corviknight. Cinderace also can take a Fire-type attack such as Heatran's Magma Storm in a pinch and threaten slower wallbreakers like Ogerpon-W for Corviknight, while Corviknight can handle Landorus-T and Gliscor for Cinderace, especially as they're hazard setters that Cinderace is scared of.
[SET CREDITS]
Written by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/stads.110504/
Quality checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/marnie.493260/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/heatranator.647728/
Grammar checked by:
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/favmon-garchomp.653095/
https://www.smogon.com/forums/members/a-blue-banana.649096/
Last edited:
